The thumb test involves laying your thumb across your flat palm to assess joint laxity.

There are many little health checks people can do at home ― from checking your pulse to breast self-exams. But one that might be less familiar is the thumb test.

It’s a relatively simple maneuver, but it has the potential to reveal clues about a possible heart issue.

So what exactly does the “thumb test” entail and what should people know about it? Below, cardiologists break it down.

What is the thumb test?

“The thumb test is an easy test people can do to see if they are at increased risk for an aortic aneurysm,” preventative cardiologist Dr. Tracy Paeschke told HuffPost. “The thumb test involves laying your thumb across your flat palm. If your thumb extends beyond the edge of your palm, this indicates joint laxity or stretchiness, which can be associated with connective tissue diseases.”

Connective tissue diseases such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are associated with a higher risk of aneurysms, particularly aortic aneurysms, because people with these conditions tend to have weakened blood vessel walls.

Also known as the thumb-palm test, the thumb test doesn’t necessarily indicate that someone currently has an aneurysm. Rather, it helps detect the kind of joint hypermobility linked to these disorders ― which carry an increased risk of aneurysms.

“A study in 2021 showed that people with a positive thumb sign had a high likelihood of having an ascending aortic aneurysm, widening of the large blood vessel in the chest that carries blood from the heart to all........

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